Finding Home
by KaitlinRoxUrSox
Summary: "Have you ever thought that maybe she's not plotting? Maybe she's grieving?" Emma finds herself defending Regina, and feeling without a doubt that she has to check on the grieving woman, regardless of the threats facing her family. Swan queen. One shot based on the after math of 2x16.


**A/n: hey guys! After seeing tonight's episode I just had to write something so here's a quick oneshot. Hope you enjoy! Read and review please. xoxo**

**^^ so i had to repost this because holy crap there were so many typos. I had written it on my phone and damn you autocorrect...but so ANYWAYS, here it...pretty much just fixed typos, but I'll probably rewrite this and add more later. Also I haven't forgotten about my Queen Thief fic that I promised and I will get to it soon, but I need to finish up my other stories first...but I will post a prologue to the story soon. Thanks!**

She was dead. Cora was finally dead. Emma thought that this would be a happy moment. Good was restored. No one had to be afraid. But this was the opposite of a joyous moment. This was grief. This was mourning. THIS was fear.

No one had seen Regina in four days. No one had seen Mary Margaret either. Regina was most likely at home plotting. Or at least that's what everyone assumed. And Mary Margaret was most likely in her home hiding; protecting herself. Or at least that's what everyone in town figured.

They all knew that Regina was out for blood. Mary Margaret's blood. They all knew that she wouldn't go down without a fight. That's how she'd always been. And clearly she hadn't changed at all. She had been so willing to team up with Cora, hadn't she? She was so willing to get what she wanted and felt that she deserved that she was blinded by her own ambition and didn't see Cora's power thirst right in front of her face. Or at least that's what everyone was whispering about. This town did alot of whispering. And alot of assuming. And Emma wished they would all just shut the fuck up.

Mary Margaret was in fact hiding at home. And David would not let her or Henry leave the apartment. And since David himself refused to leave their side, Emma and Neal were the only two allowed to go out. And they needed groceries.

Her parents hadn't really taken to Neal's 'charm' just yet, so Neal was obviously the first to be sent out. But being trapped in the house with the whole family was suffocating. Emma couldn't be in there any longer, so they went out together.

"I spent the last five years eating Ramen for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now that I can afford real good, I'm getting real food," she had told her father, and with that, the two were gone.

They had stopped at the grocery store and on their way back they had decided to see Ruby and get coffee.

"Wait here?" She requested of Neal, who agreed without arguing, knowing that Emma was in no mood for any problems.

She had entered the diner and wave to Ruby, who gave a smile as she finished taking orders.

"Ding dong the witch is dead," Emma had heard Leroy chant in a song songy voice to several of his friends. That earned him quite a few laughs. Emma grumbled but didn't say anything. Instead she pulled up a chair and asked Ruby for two iced coffees.

"The witch is dead and the bitch is hiding, plotting or whatever. Thank God. They both got what they deserved, if you ask me," Leroy had said. That was it for Emma. She stood up and threw the freshly poured coffee all over him.

"Good thing no one asked you then, asshole! That's Henry's mom that you're talking about right now! Have some compassion, for christ's sake! The woman lost her lover, her father, she has to deal with me everyday and now she's lost her mother. Have you ever thought that maybe she's not plotting? Maybe she's grieving? You're all a bunch of assholes!" Emma yelled to all the diners, who had stopped eating, drinking and chatting to stare at Emma.

"And you make me sick," Emma muttered in disappointment and disgust. She threw a couple dollars on the counter and stormed off, slamming the door, without another word.

She climbed into her yellow Bug and started the car. She couldn't drive yet because she was still so overwhelmed with anger. Regina had fucked up, that much was true. But all those people, all of them who were supposed to be 'the good guys' had so much hatred for one woman, that they couldn't even show her an ounce of mercy. And ounce of love. And it killed Emma.

"Emma?" Neal asked cautiously when she had returned without coffee

"Just...just shut up for two minutes," Emma hissed. She closed her eyes and rested her head in her hands.

She finally had gathered herself enough. She began to drive. At first she didn't know where she was going, just driving, but five minutes later she had found herself in front of Regina's white mansion. She sighed and parked the car.

Neal had kept his mouth shut the whole way, but when they arrived, he had to say something

"Emma, what are we doing here? I don't think we're exactly...welcome, don't you think?" He asked.

She sighed, "I have to check on her, Neal. Will you take the groceries and go home? And tell my dad I'm with Ruby? Please," she begged. He knew those eyes. Emma was invested. Emma was genuine. Emma cared about Regina.

"Of course. Will you be okay? She wants your mom dead," Neal warned.

"Thanks for reminding me. I has forgotten," Emma said glaring at him.

"Be careful, Em," he said offering her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"I will," she said, giving him a soft smile. She climbed out the car and waited until he had driven away before she approached the front door.

She was admittedly a little nervous to be near Regina. She hadn't gotten a chance to speak to her after her mother had died, because as soon as Regina had threatened Mary Margaret, Gold had put a spell on her, giving her, David, Mary Margaret and Neal and chance to escape.

She went to knock on the front door, but realized that it was already unlocked.

"Regina?" She called carefully, as she entered, shutting the door behind her. No answer.

"Regina...it's Emma," Emma tried again, walking into the kitchen. Still nothing,"I know you probably don't want to hear from me...but I just wanted to see how you were," she tried. Nothing.

Emma noticed the back door was open. She walked out the door and into the back yard, which was enclosed by a large fence.

She saw Regina standing over her mother's dead body, her hand in her chest.

"Regina?" Emma called wearily. Regina whipped around, but her face didn't seem as strong as her quick action.

"Get the hell out!" Regina commanded. Her voice seemed weak, as did the intent of her words.

"Regina," Emma began again, cautiously walking closer to the woman, with her hands up in front of her. As she neared the woman, she saw what a mess she was. Her eyes were puffy and blood shot from the obvious constant crying, her nose and cheeks were red and her hair was a mess. She was in yoga pants and a sweat shirt. Probably had been that way for the past few days.

"Didn't know you owned sweats," Emma teased lightly, still very aware of this woman's anger.

"What do you want from me, Ms. Swan?" Regina asked tiredly.

"I just came to see if you were alright," Emma explained. Regina rolled her eyes.

"Obviously I'm anything but alright. That's why I've looked like this for four days. That's why I can't bury my stupid mother," Regina cried out and the tears were falling again. "Fuck," she muttered, wiping her eyes.

Emma took Regina's hand and pulled it away and instead wiped the tears away with her soft sweater sleeve.

"I could kill you right now you know," Regina threatened as Emma wiped the tears gently.

"I know," Emma said and continued to wipe.

"I should kill you," Regina told her.

"I know," Emma said again, softly caressing Regina's face.

"I want to kill your mother too," Regina reminded.

"Yep," Emma nodded.

Regina ripped Emma's kind hand away.

"Aren't you worried about what I can do to your family? To your happiness?!" She screamed.

"Sometimes. But then I remember that you're only human. And that you're allowed to get angry and you're allowed to be hurt. And it's not fair, but life's never fair...is it?" Emma asked.

"No I suppose it's not," Regina said shaking her head. Where had her fight gone? Regina wondered when she had become so weak.

"Love is weakness," she murmured.

"No, Regina," Emma said fiercely, "love is strength."

"I was scared, you know," Regina admitted. Emma look up at her. "When you had that knife to my throat. I was scared because I thought you'd kill me. But I was so sure my mother would save me, it calmed all my fear. And then she didn't. But then you didn't kill me either," Regina explained. "Why?"

"Because I'm not going to kill anyone who doesn't deserve it. I don't want to kill anyone, honestly... I hope I didn't hurt you too badly," Emma said, frowning.

"Why are you so kind to me when everyone else is so cruel? I want to kill you and your family!" Regina screamed.

"God why, Regina? Why are you so committed to revenge? Why?" Emma pleaded.

"BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS TO PAY!" Regina screamed and broke down again. "I knew she didn't love me. She never did. I just wanted her love so badly, that I didn't see what all this was truly about. This was never about me or Henry. This was about her power...And I just wanted someone to love me. Just once," Regina said through tears.

"I know. And I'm so sorry," Emma told her truthfully.

"I wish Henry had never found you! I wish you had never come here. Everything was fine before you came!" Regina screamed.

"No it wasn't. And you know it. Nobody knew who they were, everyone was confused, and you were lonely and miserable. Henry was pulling away and everything was getting worse," Emma baited her.

"What's changed?" Regina replied snidely.

"Now everyone has a chance. Now you have a chance," Emma said.

"A chance for what?" Regina scoffed. Redemption? Happiness? Love? Forgiveness? Everything Regina needed but couldn't have. Everything Emma could probably give her, but she could never take it.

"Well it's different for each person. And it's up to them to decide that. I don't know what you want...but I can guess its probably love? And happiness? And a real home? And mercy?" Emma suggested with a shrug. It's like she could read Regina's thoughts.

"I don't need any of that. Nor do I deserve it," Regina said defensively, putting up her emotional mental walls.

"No Regina. That's where you're wrong. You do deserve it. Probably more than most," Emma admitted, "You were raised to believe you didn't. But everyone does. Everyone deserves and everyone needs love." Emma squeezed Regina's shoulder, offering some of that love and mercy that Regina was looking for and that Emma was willing to give.

"Would you help me...bury her?" Regina asked quietly. Almost ashamed to be asking for help.

"Of course," Emma said with a nod. She followed Regina back a few steps to Cora's cold body. Had you not known she'd been dead for four days, you'd think she was just napping in the grass.

"Magic can preserve a body for centuries..." Regina murmured as if reading Emma's thoughts.

"What can I do?" Emma asked.

"I have to crush it..." Regina said, fear evident, "just...hold my hand?" She asked sheepishly.

"Always," Emma said, taking hold of Regina's right hand. She put her other hand on the small of Regina's back. They bent over together and stuck their hand in Cora's chest and pulled out the heart. Emma thought she might be sick, but she held it together because Regina needed her.

"Ready?" Emma asked Regina.

"Goodbye mother," Regina whispered. Together, Regina and Emma reduced Cora's heart to dust, which in turn turned Cora's body to dust as well.

Regina felt safer and stronger in Emma's arms.

"Thank you, Emma," Regina said gratefully. She stared into Emma's green eyes and in them, in that terrifying moment, she found home.

She leaned in, and kissed Emma's lips. Chastely and softly, no pressure, no urges, just a kiss. When she pulled away, Emma was smiling.

"Anytime," Emma promised and she pulled Regina in for a hug. She held the older woman tightly in her arms as sobs wracked her small lithe frame. Emma whispered sweet nothings quietly in her ear, promising Regina that she would always be there. And that would be a promise she would keep.


End file.
